shall preach unto you any other Gospell then that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed I say againe let him be accursed Gal. 1.8 9. then take heed of the Antinomians new Gospell who have cast off all obedience to the law of God who desire to live without rule like sonnes of Belial that they may take their full swing in sinne under their damnable pretence that they have gotten free grace that hath freed them from all obedience to the law of God but for thy information I have written this little booke read it and if thou receive any benefit or satisfaction give God the praise and me the benefit of thy prayers now unto him that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultlesse before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy to the onely wise God our Saviour be glory and Majesty dominion and power now and evermore Amen Thine in the Lord Jesus Thomas Bakewell A short view of the Antinomean Errours with a Briefe Answer to them They hold that a man is justified as soone as he hath a being in the sight of God before faith or calling TO this I answer leaving the decrees and purposes of God to himselfe as secret things not belonging to us till we have faith and calling but to speake as it is reveal'd and according to our apprehension both of the causes and time of a sinners actuall justification as it is reveal'd unto us in the Scripture First we are said to be justified by the blood of Christ Rom. 5.9 this is done by Christ as the meriting cause of our justification He hath purchased his Church with his owne blood Acts 20.28 Secondly we are said to be justified by the righteousnesse of Christ Rom. 5.18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousnesse of one the free gift came upon all unto juctification of life this is the formall cause of our justification this righteousnesse of Christ is not that Inherent righteousnesse or sanctification that is wrought in us by the Spirit of God but it is that without us which remaines in Christ himselfe that justifies us for they are two distinct thing it is called the righteousnesse of God Rom. 1.17 Then they are very ignorant of Gods righteousnesse that goe about to establish their owne righteousnesse and have not submitted themselves to the righteousnesse of God Rom. 10.3 Paul desired not to be found in his owne righteousnesse but in that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse of God by faith Phil. 3.9 This righteousnesse without us being imputed to us makes us just and righteous in the sight of God by this alone we are counted worthy of the Kingdome of God 2 Thess 1.5 and accounted worthy to obtaine that world and the resurrection from the dead Luke 20.35 see 21.36 and saith Paul David also describeth the blessednesse of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without workes and Abraham by the hand of Faith as an instrument whereby he tooke fast hold of the righteousnesse of Christ giving glory to God and staggered not through unbeleefe it was counted reckoned or imputed unto him for righteousnesse now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed unto him but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we beleeve on him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead Rom. 4.6 20 21 22 23 24. Thus we become righteous in the sight of God and although we were borne in the guilt of originall sinne yet now it is done away by Christ for he hath laid on him the iniquity of us all Isa 53.6 so then Blessed is the man whose iniquity is forgiven and whose sinne is covered and Blessed is he to whom the Lord will not impute sinne Rom. 4.7 Psal 32.1 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe not imputing their trespasses 2 Cor. 5.19 thus our sinnes were imputed to Christ but not infused into him for still he was the Lambe without blemish and without spot who did no sinne neither was guile found in his mouth 1 Pet. 1.19.2.22 Yet he that knew no sinne was made sinne for us by imputation they were accounted and reckoned to be his and so Christ hath once suffered for sinnes the just for the unjust 1 Pet. 3.18 That we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 But this was not done by infusing his righteousnesse into us to make us just for we are sinfull creatures still we are all as an uncleane thing and all our righteousnesse are as filthy ragges Isa 64.6 So then we are justified by the righteousnesse of Christ without us imputed or reckoned to be ours for we are made the righteousnesse of God in him and not in our selves this rightly observed might convince them of their proud boasting that they are as righteous as Christ when as the righteousnesse of Christ that makes us just remaines in him and not in us Thirdly we are said to be justified by faith Rom. 3.28.5.1 This is done when we take or receive the righteousnesse of Christ being purchased by the blood of Christ and so imputed and reckoned to be ours being reached forth unto us by the spirit of God and received by the hand of our faith and so we come to have a true title to it yet not by infusion but by imputation and faith for as many as received him he gave power to become the sonnes of God even to them that beleeve on his Name John 1.12 To him that worketh not but beleveth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Rom. 4.5 Not having mine owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Phil. 3.9 Israel hath not attained to the law of righteousnesse wherefore because they sought it not by faith but by the workes of the law therefore they stumbled at that stumbling stone but whosoever beleeveth on him shall not be ashamed Rom. 9.31.32.33 Faith applying makes Christ ours as Thomas beleeving said my God and my Lord John 20.27 28. Then I conclude this third cause of our justification being the instrumentall cause of it with that saying of Paul God justifies the circumcision by faith and uncircumcision through faith Rom. 3.30 but I never read of any that were justified without faith or before faith or calling let the Antenomeans prove the contrary if they can Fourthly we are said to be justified freely by his grace Rom. 3.24 that is when God the Father doth freely accept of the righteousnesse purchased by the blood of Christ and accounts and imputes it unto us as ours and reacheth it our unto us by his spirit and we take and receive it by faith thus to justifie us is freely of his grace and this deserves the title of free grace For God so loved the
World that he gave his onely begotten sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life John 3.16 He spared not his owne sonne but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him freely give us all things Rom. 8.32 then is not this of free grace and Christ gave his life a ransome for all the Elect 1 Tim. 2.6 he gave himselfe for his Church Ephe. 5.25 he gave his life a ransome for many Matt. 20 28. he gave himselfe for us to redeeme us from all iniquity and to purifie unto himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes Titus 2.14 saith he I lay downe my life no man taketh it from me I lay it downe of my selfe I have power to lay it downe and I have power to take it up againe John 10.17.18 and then is not this out of free grace and the spirit of God worketh where it listeth John 3.8 then if the spirit of God reach out unto us the righteousnesse of Christ is it not of free grace and out hand of faith by which we receive the righteousnesse of Christ this faith is the gift of God Ephe. 2.8 then is not this also out of free grace thus by grace ye are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Ephe. 2.8 then let us speake of this to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloued Ephe. 1.6 And thus farre of the causes of our justification in the sight of God being all that are mentioned in the Scripture except that of workes which justifies our faith and persons in the sight of men as James speaketh James 2.24 but this we are not to speake of at this time From these caules we may easily see when we are justified in the sight of God I grant in the decree of God this righteousnesse of Christ was purchased vertually for all the Elect aâ— well before his coming in the flesh as afterward for he was the Lambe slain from the foundation of the World Rev. 13.8 Again I grant that this purchase was actually paid above sixteene hundred yeeres agon when Christ in our nature died actually and really on the Crosse for beleevers but to say that the righteousnesse of Christ is really ours before that the spirit of God doth reach it forth unto us or before we have any faith or calling that is before that we have either eye to see it or hand of faith to receive and take it this I say is a cursed error suggested by the father of lies into those that are led by him to beleeve lyes For was that man in the Gospell who had a legion of divels within him justified when as the presence of Christ was a torment to him and he cryed out Jesus thou sonne of God most high I beseech thee torment me not I must needs confesse in one thing he was like our Antenomeans for no bonds could hold him but when the divels were cast out the man was in another mind he that could not abide the presence of Christ before now he can beseech Christ that he might be with him Luke 8.18.38 Then shall we be so foolish to thinke that the holy spirit of Christ will dwell in that foule and filthy heart where the divell reignes and leads them captive at his will 2 Tim. 2.26 but such are all the Elect before they be recovered out of the snare of the divell shall we thinke that the holy spirit of Christ was in Mary Magdalen when those seven divels kept their randevouse within her What agreement hath Christ with the divell that he should be as an underling in that soule where the divell reignes Doth Christ come to justifie such a soule and not to sanctifie it at the same time Doth he not say come out of Babylon and be not partaker of her sinnes that ye receive not of her plagues Rev. 18.4 Come out from among them and be ye seperate saith the Lord touch not the uncleane thing and I will receive you and I will dwell in you 2 Cor. 6.16 17. but will Christ come into the strong mans house and not bind him nor spoile his goods is not Christ stronger then he Luke 11.21 22. Why then will Christ live in that soule that Sathan hath in possession it may be twenty or forty yeeres togther before faith or effectuall calling be truely wrought in it If ye be the Temple of God and his spirit dwell in you if any man desile the Temple of God him shall God destroy let no man deceive himselfe 1 Cor. 3.16.17 Doth Christ say this and will he himselfe live and dwell among divels especially where they rule and reigne I hope no Christian truly justified will harbour such blasphemous thoughts within him lest they should say he hath an uncleane spirit Marke 3. â—0 Secondly But will they yeeld and say God forbid that we should thinke that the holy Spirit of God should dwell and live in that soul that the divell hath in possession then I reply and say if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is for the present none of his Ye are not in the flesh but on the spirit if so be the Spirit of God dwell in you Rom. 8.9 There shall no flesh be justified in his sight Rom. 3.20 but saith Paul You in times pasted were Gentles in the flesh at that time yee were without Christ and without God in the world but now in Christ Jesus yee who were sometimes afarre off are made nigh by the blood of Christ Ephe. 2.12.13 Then is the righteousnesse of Christ wrought in us by the Spirit of Christ that makes us cleane temples for his Spirit to dwell in and will not his holy Spirit live among divells in a cage together of uncleane and filthy lusts and are they for the present without Christ and without God in the world and in the flesh when as no flesh living shall be justified in the fight of God and having not the Spirit of God they for the present are none of his then how dare any man say that they are justified in the sight of God as soone as they had any being in this world O horrible and blasphemous doctrine that makes the pure and holy Spirit of God to be a companion yea a very band to cursed divells and filthy lusts else how can he live where the divells reigne but thou O blessed Spirit of God art of purer cyes then to behold evill and canst not look on iniquity with approbation Hab. 1.13 But ye in time past walked according to the course of the world and according to the prince of the ayre that ruleth in the children of disobedience saith Paul wee all had our conversation in time past in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the minde and were by nature children of wrath even as others Ephe. 3 2 3. but were they
grace of God we have had our conversation in the world 2 Cor. 1.12 I have lived in all good conscience before God to this day Act. 23.1 I say the truth in Christ I lye not my conscience beareth me witnes in the Holy-ghost Ro. 9.1 Thus you see that we must not content our selves with a bare testimony but we must labour to see the work wrought in us let but thy conscience bring thee to thy tryall and thou shalt easily see how it is with thee and doe not say that this is legall teaching lest thou be filled with fancies and no reall worke of grace be wrought as yet in thee and doe not thinke that the spirit of God will worke when thou liest still and remainest an empty trunke or a dead stone no thou must be made a living stone and must worke actively by the movings of the spirit of God in thee draw me and we will runne after thee Cant. 1.3 I shall runne the wayes of thy Commandements when thou doest inlarge my heart Psal 119.32 but this they condemne as legall teaching because spirituall sloathfulnesse hath so possessed them that they will make no other triall but rest upon a bare idle perswasion or testimony but whether it came from God or the divell they know not Well they say they are justified as soone as they were borne and then as righteous as Christ and this they know from a bare testimony now it followes say they that God cannot correct them neither doth he correct for their sinne but onely to exercise their faith I grant that God doth not punish his children in wrath and fury with plagues and vengeance but as gentle corrections from a loving father for their good yet still sinne was the cause of it saith David there is no soundnesse in my flesh nor rest in my bones because of my sinne Psal 38.3 4 5. why doth the living man complaine man is punished for his sinne Lam. 3.39 then art thou made whole sinne no more lest a worse thing come unto thee John 5.14 if David a man after Gods owne heart sinne scandalously the sword shall never depart from his house 2 Sam. 12 10. God is not partiall in his corrections though Coniah were as the signet upon my right hand yet would I plucks him thence Ier. 22.24 that soule that sinneth it shall dye Ezek. 18. all things come alike to all there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked Eccles 9.2 the wages of sinne is death Rom. 6.23 And every sicknesse or inward griese or sorrow or outward hurts or maladies all are but parts and parcels of this wages that we receive from the service of sinne and we receive this wages by parts and parsels daily for as Adam in the day that he sinned he began to dye he received some part of that wages of sinne death seized upon him and slew him by degrees and so we as soon as we were borne began to dye and all those afflictions and sorrowes that doe befall us doe but hallen us to our end but who is freed from these things what man is he that liveth and shall not see death Ps 89.41 our Prophets are dead and our fathers are fallen asleep wise men dye as well as fooles for all must dye and be as water spile upon the ground 2 Sam. 14.14 then God doth correct and that heavily for sinne yet his corrections are sweetned to his people the sting or bitternesse of them is takâ—n out yet we shall not be freed from corrections nor death so long as we carry a body of sinne daily about with us death is passed upon all men for that all have sinned Rom. 5.12 but will they say that death is not a correction it is the king of terrours Iob 18.14 will they say death is but to exercise their faith but suppose one of them were shot with a bullet how would he exercise his faith or can they exercise their faith to prevent a sinne when they are corrected for their sinne already committed saith David before J was afflicted J went astray Psal 119.67 and Manasseh was converted in the furnace of afflictions which was the meanes to beget his faith and not to exercise it before he had it it is manifest enough that God doth correct his people for sinne if thy children forsake my law and if they breake my statutes then J will visit their transgressions with a rod and their iniquity with stripes neverthelesse J will not take away my mercy from him Psal 89.30 then let not the Antonomeans forsake Gods law lest they feele the weight of his correcting hand you have I knowne of all the families of the earth therefore I will punish you for your iniquities Amos 3.2 then let them take heed how they say when they sinne tush God sees not God is not like to themselves he will reprove them and set their sinnes in order before them consider thâ—â— ye that forget God lest he teare you in â—â—eces and there be none to deliver you Psal 50.21 God will correct Jacob in measure and will not leave him altogethen unpunished Jer. 10.24.20.11 for the transgression of Jacob is all this Micah 1.5 Zachariah and Elizabeth are as famous as any in all the Scripture for being both just and righteous before God and walking in all the Commandements and Ordinances of the Lord blamelesse yet saith the Angell to him thou shalt be dumb and not able to speake which was a sore correction because thou beleevest not my words Luke 1.6.20 and Jehosaohat was a good man yet if he helpe the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord there shall wrath from the Lord be upon him nevertheles there are good things found in him 2 Chr. 19.23 Miriam was a good woman yet if she speake against Moses the anger of the Lord is kindled and behold Miriam became leprous white as snow Num. 12.1.9 10. for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every sonne that he receiveth if ye endnre chastening whereof all are partakers then are ye sonnes and not bastards Heb. 12.6 7 8. Ephraim bemoaned himselfe thus Thou hast chastâ—sed me yet saith the Lord Ephraim is my deare sonne he is a pleasant child I doe earnestly remember him still my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy on him saith the Lord Jer. 31.18.20 it is a signe of a humble heart when the Land is scourged for sinne to acknowledge our sinnes to be the cause of it as David did saying to the Lord I even I onely have sinned and done evill indeed but as for these sheep what have they done 1 Chron. 21.17 see 2 Sam. 24.10 Againe when Nathan came to him he said I have sinned against the Lord 2 Sam. 12.13 Againe it is the brand of a reprobate when God ceaseth to correct him for his sinne I will no more punish your daughters when they commit whoredome nor your spouses when they commit adultery Ephraim is
keepe all Gods Commandements and yeelding universall obedience thereto and to hate all sinne THe Antinomeans say that they are bewitched that hold a man cannot be saved without faith and wisheth them cut off that so trouble them they say it is the envious man that hath sowed those Tares but here he cals the Spirit of God that envious man because he hath told us that without faith it is unpossible to please God Heb. 11.16 and whatsoever is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14.23 and he that beleeveth not is damned already and the wrath of God abideth on him John 3.18.36 Then what a bold blasphemer is this to call the holy Spirit of God the envious man because he contradicts their cursed Errours They say why should Christ put them upon the performance of conditions they having no life but are stone-dead in sinne so I say too but when Christ gives us a hand and life and motion in it too it is no hard condition to put it out to receive so great a Benefit He saith for God to put us upon such a worke supernaturall as faith is and to have no part in Christ without it seems very difficult and unlike his Fatherly affections toward us I answ but Gods people doe not thinke so whatever he thinkes when God hath given them faith they must use it and cannot doe otherwise they find so much profit and comfort by implying that Tallent of faith He saith to say faith is a condition without which we cannot be saved doth perplex the conscience and denies our mercies and resists the spirit of God and doth not consist with the right end for which faith was wrought in us he saith Christ died for the ungodly to purchase remission of sinnes and to reconcile them to God and so I say too so it be understood out of the number of the Elect but when he saith this was done without any condition or application on our parts we remaining ungodly still and going on in a course of sinnes is a foule errour but I have answered it already and he saith faith was given that we might see what was wrought in and upon us before we had either faith or calling that is saith he to see our remission of sinnes and reconciliation with God and how we are made righteous in the sight of God justified and saved all this as soone as we have our being in this life and faith is but a declarative grace to shew us these things that were all done before but onely we did not see them and so faith comforts us saith he and when the law clamours for obedience faith answers we are not under the law but under grace and therefore they owe no obedience to it it is true they will doe some things unrequired as to breake out into exaltations and thankfulnesse but not as any duty they owe to the Lord but upon free will and as a curtisie what they please unrequired this is their free grace but it is of the divels making to damne their soules but Paul saith Christ was revealed for the obedience of faith Rom. 16.26 and he received grace and Apostleship for the obedience of faith Rom. 1.5 they say that their love makes them doe great matters unrequired but let them take heed how they bring strange fire or any thing before they have tryed it in the ballance of the Sanctuary for God will not be served by their devisings but by his owne directions made knowne to us in his law He that looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continueth therein not being a forgetfull hearer but a doer of the worke this man is blessed in the deed James 1.25 we must bring that worship and service that God requires in his law for substance and in the same manner it must be done in faith and time place considered and to the same end that God hath apointed which is his glory but their faith sheweth them a Christ that requires no duty of them but what they please out of free love and curtisie for all was done before they had faith or calling and he saith children when they dye are saved without faith but I suppose that to be more then he can prove because without faith it is unpossible to please God and he that beleeveth not is damned already and â—he wrath of God abideth on him but that wrath must be removed and they must please God before they can be saved although we cannot conceive the manner how it is wrought in them therefore when Christ came to heale any â—iseases if he perceived they had faith to be healed then he cured them and commonly he said according to thy faith be it unto thee all things are possible to him that beleeveth he saith they that mix the Law and the Gospell together are false teachers and so I say too and to make redemption conditionall â—o depend on duties as causes I say the same but to say these duties are not â—equired as the way to salvation is a grosse errour that beats off all obedience â—o the law of God but they say the state of a Christian is most free in this respect because nothing at all is required of him and he saith they are deceivers that teach otherwise so that their free grace they boast so much of is nothing but a freedome from all obedience to the lavv of God I find in that book of theirs that they say legall Teachers say that repentance â—umiliation self-deniall weeping mourning fasting and praying and the use of â—he Sacraments the observing of the Sabbath and doing as one would be done â—nto and the rest must be done as duties but are palpable mistakings for they â—re made as duties by almost all Teachers But here they shew their sinne as Sodome and bewray what they meane by â—â—eir free grace yet I say againe that we deny that duties are any causes of â—ur salvation but they are the way appointed by the Lord to attaine that end â—nd must be done in obedience to Gods command and not left for us to doe 〈◊〉 not to doe at our pleasure these ought to be pressed as duties so long as we â—â—rry about with us daily a body of sinne which is as a heavy weight upon us â—â—d being alwayes with us and makes us faile in all our duties we then had â—â—ed to be stirred up daily to weeping and mourning and to repent of our failâ—â—gs nay although we know nothing by our selves yet are we not hereby justified 1 Cor. 4.4 because there be many secret sinnes in us that we cannot find out O Lord forgive our secret sins Psal 19. he saith feare hath torment so I say that slavish feare hath torment and is not made perfect in love 1 Joh. 4.18 but filiall feare is a companion of all joy and comfort Psal 2.11.56.6 he saith it is in vaine to bid a beleever humble himselfe for there is none so humble as he But is this